Wait.
What?
I pivoted to where she’d disappeared, but she’d closed the door, leaving me with the boyfriend.
Ugh.
Turning, I faced him. It was hard to look at him. Not just because he was having sex with my mom—seriously Ineverwant to think about that, bad meatloaf, bad meatloaf, badmeatloaf.No, the problem here was he looked like Archie.
Too much like him.
Wearing the same faint smirk Archie used when he anticipated delivering uncomfortable news to someone he wanted to knock down a peg, ‘Eddie’ said, “I think your mom is trying to take your wishes to heart. But I would like you to reconsider.”
“Funny, if she was taking my wishes to heart, she’d dump you before she gets hurt.” You know, that just kind of popped out.
The faint smirk vanished, and he frowned at me. “Do you hate me that much, Frankie?”
“I don’t hate you at all, Mr. Standish.” I wasn’t calling him ‘Eddie.’ It wasn’t happening. “You’re married. You’re one of my best friends’ dads…”
“Well, we both know Archie is a lot more than just your friend,” he said, folding his arms and giving me a stern look. “If you want to call it like it is, then I see no reason to not be as blunt with you.”
“Fine, he’s more than a friend, it doesn’t change the fact that you’re cheating, and you’re the reason my mother is a cheater.” My mother, who seemed to want to live any life except the one we had.
“The heart wants what it wants.”
“Does the heart plan on getting a divorce, or is it just taking a vacation?” Yep. That was me. “Because whatever happens, Mr. Standish, if you break her heart, I will find a way to get you back.”
He raised his eyebrows.
Maybe my mom deserved it. But she was still my mom.
“Maybe your mother is right,” he said after a moment. “Maybe you are never going to support her in this.”
“Nope,” I said firmly. “I’m not. I’m definitely not on Team Bad Meatloaf.”
Confusion clouded his expression.
“I have to go to work. Don’t lock my cats up. Don’t touch them. Are you planning to stay here tonight?”
“No,” he said. “We have plans…and I’m going to have my secretary send over the address for the new place and a key. You are welcome.”
Wait. “New place?” They’d said something earlier.
“You were right about moving your mother into the house. It’s where Muriel still lives. Archie wouldn’t enjoy it. So I got your mother and I a different place. There’s room for you.”
They were serious.
“Or you can stay here.” He looked at me expectantly. “But you’re always welcome with us, and I was serious about the car. It’s already purchased for you. Your mother told me about your plans for Harvard. I could help with that…”
My jaw locked for a moment, but I shot a look at the clock. “I have to go. My shift starts soon.”
He didn’t move, and it was like a standoff. If I wanted to get to the back door, I had to squeeze past him.
Fuck that.
Not calling goodbye to Mom, I pivoted and went out the front. It was a longer walk to the car. I didn’t care.
So, she was going off with Eddie to live in a new place.